Jump in the Cold Water
by ELfict
Summary: Sequel to Checkmate. They both already know how they feel about the other, but who will dare to take the "jump in the cold water" first? Their relationship develops and they grow even more close than they already were.
1. Ch 1: Snow Angels

**A/N: So this is the sequel to Checkmate. If you haven't read it yet you should because otherwise this story will make less sense.  
Since all your enthusiasm I decided to write a sequel soon. So when I was listening to some music and watched the snow outside fall I suddenly got an idea and started writing. I got a part of the idea for this story, and title, from the song: I'd rather be with you by Joshua Radin. The one line I got the idea from is: "**_**Need to be bold, need to jump in the cold water…"**_** It's a really nice song btw.  
I hope you like it and I'd love you to review.**

**Ch 1: Snow Angels**

"Aw come on." Castle said.

"No dad."

"Just one."

"No, I'm wearing a black coat and then it'll get all white." Alexis said.

Castle took Alexis to the park to enjoy the snow. He was desperately trying to get her to make snow angels with him, which obviously didn't work.

"Doesn't the fact that I just yesterday had a traumatic experience and almost lost Beckett count for something?" Castle asked.

"It does count for something, I already promised to make a snowman with you, remember?" Alexis said.

"True, but don't try to hide that you actually want to make a snowman yourself." He said.

"Okay I'll admit, but that doesn't mean I will make a snow angel."

"Why not?"

"Because, snow is cold. If I'll make a snow angel and maybe get too cold, I might get sick. And when I'm sick who's gonna take care of you?" Alexis said.

"Oh now that's just mean. I'm a grown man I can take care of myself. But I'll forgive you for hurting my feelings if you'll do me a favor…" He said while smiling sweetly at his daughter.

"No I will not make a snow angel with you."

Castle knew it was hopeless and gave up. "Fine, I'll just make one myself. Will you at least take a picture for me?" He said as he handed her his phone and lied down in the snow. He moved his arms up and down as he said, "See how fun this is? Wooo…. _I'm a snow angel and I'm flying away_" He sang.

"Castle?" Kate Beckett watched the scene in front of her amusedly. Rick Castle was lying in the snow, making a snow angel and singing while his teenage daughter was watching. When Castle noticed her he immediately stood up and shoved the snow of his pants.

"Beckett, Kate… I um… I was just… What are you doing here?" He rambled. She smiled at him. His hair was messy and pieces of snow where stuck into it. His cheeks and nose were red from the cold. Somehow he couldn't have looked any cuter.

"I was just taking a walk, I wanted some fresh air." She said.

"Yeah well the air is certainly fresh…" He gave her a dumb smile. "So, um…" She was amused at his sudden loss of words. Alexis noticed her father's sudden loss of words too and decided to help her dad out. "Kate, my dad and I were about to make a snowman, do you want to help?" She offered.

"Yeah, that would be nice." Kate Beckett answered.

"But first…" Castle said and had some kind of silent conversation with his daughter that Beckett didn't understand.

Alexis on the other hand understood her father completely and got the same grin on her face as her father. "Snowball fight!" She finally finished her father's sentence, and immediately dived to the ground, made a snowball and threw it at her father. Castle was just a second too slow and got the snowball right in his face.

"Ooh… Is that how you want to play. You've declared war, o dear daughter of mine." Castle said as he threw a snowball at his daughter's head, missing her by an inch. After that he threw another one at the unsuspecting Kate Beckett, and hit her hair.

"Castle!" She exclaimed but she also smiled. "Well detective I had thought you'd be more alert, or did the sight of me blur your focus?" He teased.

"Okay now I'm in too. Finally the chance to throw something at your head, something I've been wanting to do for a long time." She said as she ducked away from another snowball, this time from Alexis.

The three of them continued throwing snowballs, ducking away from them and occasionally got hit. Kate was about to throw a snowball at Alexis and for a second didn't pay attention to Castle, who was holding a snowball in his hands. He walked up behind her and before she could throw a snowball to Alexis he pushed the snowball in her hair, causing her to give a little squeal.

"Castle!" She yelled and turned around to see him standing just inches from her. She immediately forgot she was supposed to be upset when she looked into his blue eyes who stared back to her. They both thought about yesterday's kiss and Kate caught herself looking at his lips. Castle took a step closer and inhaled her scent. Still cherries, he thought and smiled.

Alexis who watched their whole 'conversation', coughed and said, "Guys, hello?" Which made them jump apart, suddenly realizing they weren't alone. Alexis just grinned at this new development between her dad and detective Beckett. Both her dads and Beckett's cheeks were bright red, but this time not from the cold.

At that moment Beckett's phone went off, and she picked it up. "Beckett." She said. "I'm already in the park." She said after the other side of the line had said something. "No, Castle's with me. Eh… no I just happened to ran in to him and Alexis. Yes Lanie I'm sure… We'll be there soon." She hang up her phone.

"That was Lanie, there's been a murder here in the park." She informed Castle.

"I'm sorry Alexis, we will have to make the snowman another time." Castle said to his daughter.

"Alright but you still have some explaining to do." She said while she gestured at Beckett, who was already switched to detective mode and ready to go.

"There's nothing to tell…" Castle said. "I have to go now, bye." He kissed her forehead and turned around.

"But dad−" Alexis protested.

Castle shot his daughter a warning glance. "Bye honey, you can have extra ice-cream tonight." He yelled over his shoulder while he walked next to Beckett.


	2. Ch 2: Cold Water

**A/N: Thanks so much for your reviews! They really make me write more and faster. I do have one request (besides reviewing :P), which I will need for the next chapter… But I'll ask that after you've read this chapter, so enjoy!**

**Ch 2: Cold Water******

"May I have the pleasure?" Castle asked and held out his arm in an invitation.

Beckett smiled and took his arm as they walked silently, side by side to the crime scene.

Lanie saw Castle and Beckett walking towards her, arms together. She immediately looked up from the body to check if she'd seen it alright. When she was certain she did she saw Beckett notice her stare and quickly drop her arm and continued walking a little bit further away from Castle.

"So Lanie what have got we here?" Beckett asked when she arrived at the body.

"A boy, 17 years old. He had his ID on him, his name is Thomas Fulter. One stab wound to the chest, after that his feet where bound together with this schoolbag filled with stones and he was thrown in the lake." Lanie said pointing at his feet.

"But how did they find him then? Did someone just decide to take a nice swim in this extremely cold water and then happened to stumble across a dead body? Oh no wait, of course they didn't just swim, someone jumped in very deep and then saw the body." Castle said enthusiastically.

"No, our team had to dive in and get the body out." Lanie started. "Do you see that white/red block over there?" Lanie asked.

"Yes." Beckett and Castle said in unison.

"That's a large piece of Styrofoam, with a lot of blood on it. There was an arrow on top of it with the picture of the boy on it, pointing down. That was floating on the lake. We got several phone call of people hearing a scream, and later from people who wanted to know what the floating object was. When I found out it was human blood on the Styrofoam I called up a team to search for the body." Lanie told them. "CSU is now looking for footprints, fingerprints and maybe weapons."

Castle laughed a little and said, "I like Styrofoam. It's such a nice word isn't it? I mean it just sounds so… likeable." He said.

"Did anybody inform the parents yet?" Beckett asked ignoring Castle.

"No, not yet." Lanie answered.

"Well let's go then." She said and walked away from the body, walking straight up to Castle.

"Sorry… eh" They both stammered. When Castle continued walking he heard a loud cough behind him from Beckett. "Castle this way." She said.

"Oh eh, right." Castle said and followed her to her car.

"That was terrible." Beckett stated while she was making coffee in the break room for her and Castle. Lately Castle had made her coffee almost every day so she had decided to return the favor.

"Yeah it was pretty bad." Castle said. When they had told Thomas' parents that he was dead, his mother started crying and she didn't stop while they were there. The father had started crying after they had told it was a murder. Basically both parents just kept crying. They eventually got some information, like where he went to school, who his friends were and something about his girlfriend.

Beckett was waiting for the coffee to be done when she suddenly felt Castle close behind her and she turned around. He was closer than she'd expected and she could smell the faint scent of his cologne mixed with something that was just his own scent. It smelled great and she had a hard time focusing.

"Listen Kate, I was wondering…" Castle started.

"Detective Beckett" She managed to correct him, they were, after all still at work.

"Yeah well, I was wondering if, you know, if you have no other plans… because I would understand if you would. Have other plans I mean." Kate Beckett listened to his rambling speech. She didn't know if she'd ever seen him like this before. He was nervous and she thought it was very cute.

"What do you wanted to ask Castle?" She decided to make it easier for him, for once.

"Do you want to have Christmas Dinner with me and my family?" Castle asked and looked at her expectantly.

"I want to, but I always have Christmas Dinner with my father. I call him once in a while but I don't see him that often." She explained.

"Your father is invited too, of course." He said hoping she would take the offer.

"I guess I could convince to go with me." She said causing a big smile to appear on Castle's face.

"Just one thing though…" Beckett said, a serious look on her face. "You know, given my dad's history, I don't know if it's such a good idea to serve alcohol."

"Of course." Castle said.

Beckett picked up one of the two coffee mugs, leaned forward, kissed Castle on his cheek and walked out of the room. While she walked away she let her hand trail over his chest. Castle watched her walk away as he still felt where her hand had just touched his chest and smiled. He knew what her plan was. She wanted to drive him crazy by doing all those little things to him. But she needed to know she wasn't the only one who could do that. He grinned and took a sip of his coffee. He was looking forward to Christmas Dinner, hopefully he could impress her with his cooking skills.

**A/N: So the next chapter will be called: Meet the parent. So you can probably figure out why… Anyway my request to you is to come up with a first name for Beckett's father, since it has never been mentioned on the show. Just put it in your review, and the person that comes up with the best name will win a million dollars! No just kidding, I don't have a million dollars and even if I did I wouldn't just give it to you, sorry.  
I will mention your name in the author's note if that makes you feel any better. If you don't have any inspiration, in episode 1x5 at the end, Beckett looks at a picture of her father, just think what name would suit him. ****I will update as soon as I can!**


	3. Ch 3: Meet the Parent

**A/N: Here it is, my Christmas gift to you. An extra long new chapter. If you would like to give something back, I accept cash or cheque :P. But if you'll just review I'll be happy too ;)  
Thanks for all your previous reviews, I really appreciate them! About the name for Beckett's father, apparently he will appear in episode 2x13 (Sucker Punch) and his name is Jim Beckett. So thanks for letting me know that and if you have any other name for someone (a suspect or someone like that) let me know. I'll use the best name in my story…**

**Ch 3: Meet the Parent**

Kate was nervously straightening her skirt for the last time before she rang the doorbell. Her father, who stood next to her, watched his daughter amusedly. He hadn't seen her nervous in a very long time.

Castle walked to the door to welcome his guests. He opened the door with a welcoming smile. "Welcome Kate, and you must be her father." He said.

Kate, feeling that she should, introduced them to each other. "Dad, this is Rick Castle, Rick this is my dad, Jim Beckett."

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Beckett." Castle said as they shook hands.

"Call me Jim And the pleasure is all mine, I've heard a lot about you." Jim said.

"Really…?" Castle said while grinning broadly at Kate who looked at her father.

Jim Beckett looked at his daughter who was slightly flushed. They spoke to each other on the phone once in a while and most of their conversation were about the man standing in front of them. Although she mentioned how annoying and arrogant he could be, she mostly spoke about how he'd made her laugh. How he made her day more enjoyable at work, and what a lovely family he had. Jim Beckett however decided to help her daughter out a bit and said, "Yes, she mentioned how annoying you could be."

That comment made Castle's confident smile slightly falter and Beckett grinned at him. "Please, come in." Castle said and held the door open further so that they could enter.

When Jim entered the apartment he looked around and whistled appreciatively. Castle took their coats and lead them to the couch gesturing for them to sit down. "Dinner's almost done can I−" But before he could finish a voice coming from the stairs interrupted him.

"Aah… They're here. How lovely to see you both." Martha said as she descended the stairs, followed by Alexis. "Well, aren't you going to introduce us?" Martha asked her son.

"Well, you already know Kate Beckett. And this is her father, Jim Beckett." Castle said and after that Jim, Martha and Alexis all shook hands. Castle had already walked to the kitchen where he put his, 'World's greatest dad'- apron on. While Jim, Martha and Alexis where sitting with their back turned to the kitchen, Kate sat on the other side so she could see Castle. When her dad was chatting animatedly with Alexis and Martha, Kate stood up and walked to the kitchen.

She walked over to Castle and whispered, "Nice apron." Castle, who hadn't noticed she was in the kitchen turned away from the stove to look at her smiling face. He smiled back and said, "Yeah I know right? I got it from Alexis a couple months ago."

"Can I help with anything?" Beckett offered. "No I only need to stir this for while and make sure everything has the good temperature and then it's done." Castle said. "Well honey, why don't you stir that while I'll take Rick for a sec." Jim said who just appeared in the kitchen.

"Rick is there anywhere we can talk?" He asked Castle. "Yeah sure, in my study." And with that they were off, leaving Kate Beckett to stir some kind of delicious smelling sauce. She watched her father and Castle close the door to his study and wondered what it was about. Hopefully not about her, she thought.

* * *

"So…" Castle said, not knowing what was about to come.

"Do you like my daughter?" Jim immediately cut to the chase. He never liked it when people unnecessarily waited to bring up a subject.

"Um… Yes." Castle said slightly taken aback.

"Yes or No? Not: um… Yes." He ordered.

"Yes, I like your daughter." Castle answered.

Jim Beckett let his gaze wonder over Castle, making Castle feel slightly uncomfortable. "You know, I should actually thank you." Jim finally said.

"Thank me?" Castle asked, to be sure he heard alright.

"Yeah, of course you didn't knew her then yet, but if it wasn't for you…" He sighed when he thought back of the terrible time. "I wasn't there for Kate when she needed me after her mother's death. I started drinking and she was the one who was there for me, although she had no one to go to herself. In that period she started reading a lot, to get away from her own live for a while. And when she started reading your books… Well, without them she might not even be a detective right now." He said and looked up at Castle, who stared at him in surprise. "She hasn't told you that?" He asked Castle.

"No, she hasn't" Castle replied.

"Well, maybe I shouldn't say anything then, I'm sure she'll tell you in her own time. But I didn't came here to chat about the past…" Jim said. "You know, Kate has been through a lot."

"Yes, I know." Castle said.

"That's why she doesn't let people in too soon. It takes a long time for her to fully trust someone. I know she really likes you, although she tries to hide it."

Castle smiled at that, although he hadn't directly heard it from her, it felt great to hear that she _really _liked him.

"But I don't want her to ever to get hurt." Jim continued. "So if you ever do anything to hurt her, I know where to find you."

Castle said, "I will do everything to keep her from hurting, sir."

"Did Kate ever tell you I was in the army once?"Jim asked Castle.

"No, she didn't." Castle answered.

"I've learned one move, for if you're unarmed, to kill someone with the same effort you'd kill a fly…" Jim told Castle.

"Em… Interesting." Castle said and swallowed hard, he started feeling very uncomfortable.

"Yes, I still have a lot of friends from back in the day when we were still in the army. One of them is the best sniper we had, he still visits the shooting range from time to time." Jim said and grinned when he saw Castle shifting uncomfortably on his feet. He figured the message was clear and said, "So, just make sure you don't take any irrational decisions that will hurt her. Did I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir." Castle said, having the feeling that right now he was in the army.

"Good. Now that's cleared I think I can tell you…" He started.

"Tell me what?" Castle asked, his curiosity prickled.

"Although she sometimes mentions how annoying you can be, on the phone, she mostly talks about how funny you are and how you make her work more endurable. And when we call you're the one we mostly talk about." He said to Castle who grinned at hearing this. "Well, I think we should go back now…" Jim said and opened the door.

Jim went to sit on the couch with Martha and Alexis, while Castle returned to the kitchen where Kate was waiting. She pretended to be very busy stirring the sauce but she felt his presence behind her. "Do you remember when you told me about your date to prom? " He asked her, which caused her to turn around. "Yes." She remembered that she thought her date was afraid of her, but it turned out it was because of something her father had said.

"I think I might know how he felt…" He said and grinned at her. "Is it true that he was in the army once?" He asked her.

Kate let out a small chuckle at that. "Did he tell you that?"

"Yes, and he can kill you with one simple move." Castle stated.

"Well I don't know about that, but he was indeed in the army." She said and frowned. She wondered what their exact conversation had been. She tried to think of a scenario but was interrupted by a call coming from the couch to ask if the food was already done.

Ten minutes later they all sat around a table, delicious looking food on their plates. They were all having a great time talking to each other while enjoying the food. It was a round table, specially set up for tonight. Beckett was sitting on the right side of Castle, next to her father. On Castle's left side sat his daughter and next to her, sat Martha.

Halfway through dinner Castle let his hand slide under the table and put in on Kate's knee. Kate felt the heat of his hand on her knee and shot him a warning glance. Seeing that his grin only grew wider and he slowly started to caress her knee and moved to her upper leg. She bit her lip and then asked, "Rick could you pass me the salt?" She smiled sweetly, knowing he had to move his hand away.

Rick's hand left her knee and he gave her the salt. When he handed it to her he suddenly felt her heeled foot move over his leg, up to his thigh. His eyes widened as she raised her eyebrow while giving him a playful smile. He distractedly poured chili sauce over his food, took a bite and said, "Aah… That's hot." He kept his eyes on Kate.

Suddenly he jumped up and basically ran to the kitchen. "Time for dessert." He yelled over his shoulder. He saw a smirking Kate Beckett watching him, arms crossed, one eyebrow pulled up.

-

**A/N: Well, I still owe you dessert… I don't know when I'll update again, but hopefully soon. Merry winter! ('Cause I don't just want your Christmas to be merry :P)**


	4. Ch 4: Mixed Flavors

**A/N: Here's dessert, as promised. I hope you like the taste of it…**

**Ch. 4: Mixed Flavors**

Everyone gasped as Castle put the giant ice-cake on the table. It was big, with beautiful icing and, the reason why everyone gasped, sparkling firework on top of it, the kind especially made for desserts. Castle gave a satisfied grin when everyone reacted like he hoped they would. He gave everyone a piece and watched as they gave sounds of appreciation.

Beckett had to admit, it was delicious. She ate and suddenly saw him stare at her lips. She licked her lips and watched as his eyes followed her movement. She started to feel a little uncomfortable and coughed softly getting his attention.

"Well, Rick I gotta say, this is truly delicious." Jim said, after he finished eating.

"Well, I can't take all the credit, Alexis helped a lot." Rick said and smiled at his daughter.

After everyone had finished eating Castle and Alexis cleaned the table while Jim, Martha and Kate proceeded to sit on the couch. "Does anybody want some hot chocolate?" Castle called from the kitchen.

"Yes that would be great." Jim said immediately. "I can't remember the last time I had hot chocolate." He said and grinned. "I do remember Kate used to love it. This once when she was fifteen we went out to an amazing coffee bar, but she wanted hot chocolate. When she drank from the cup the cream on top it left a mustache on her upper lip. That was exactly the moment a boy from school walked by…" He told them and Kate turned a light shade of pink.

"Dad!" She said and heard a soft chuckle coming from the kitchen. She didn't need to look up to see who it came from.

"Well, I didn't like the guy but she certainly did." Jim continued ignoring his daughter's angry stare. "She started stuttering some words to the boy, but she didn't know she had a cream mustache."

"DAD!" Kate said again and gave him an angry look. She remembered that event painfully well. It had been very embarrassing and she didn't want that anybody heard about it, especially not Castle.

"Your hot chocolate." Castle said as he and Alexis put the steamy cups of hot chocolate on the table. He grinned at Kate who was still slightly flushed.

"Ah… You should've seen Rick when he was younger…" Martha started. "Once he had brought a girl home that he was tutoring in English. He was very good in English and even in school he always knew what to say. But then with that girl…" She grinned.

"Mom!" Castle called out and shot a warning glance at his mother while Kate let out a soft chuckle and watched him amusedly.  
"Well honey, it is true." Martha said and continued, "He was supposed to tutor the poor girl in English, but not a single word of that language came out of his mouth. He was just stuttering and mumbling some kind of gibberish. One study session and the girl requested another tutor."

"Mother!" Castle looked slightly embarrassed.

"Well, don't worry. I think that's the only girl that ever got you speechless." Martha said and continued talking to Jim and Alexis.

Kate Beckett looked into his blue eyes as she remembered the kiss. After she'd kissed him he had been speechless. And he hadn't been since some high-school crush. She felt heat spread to her body as they continued to stare into each other's eyes, having a conversation without speaking. Then she suddenly got an idea.

Castle watched her as she stood up and said, "Rick, we still needed to go through the case-file remember? You told me you found something before…?" She said to him, hoping he would play along.

Luckily he was quick to catch up. "Yes I remember." He said and jumped up. "Excuse us." He said to the rest who were laughing and chatting with each other.

Rick led the way to his study and Kate followed him closely. When they were inside he closed the door behind him and turned around to her. "What was that all abou−" He started to ask but before he could say as much as another letter, Kate pushed him against the door and kissed him.

Their kiss was passionate and Kate's hands slowly moved up over his chest. She let one hand play with his hair while she let the other linger in his neck. Castle's hands were on her waist and pulled her closer to him as he slowly let his thumb caress a piece of exposed skin. She trembled slightly at the touch and deepened the kiss. _God, he thought, she tastes so sweet. _After what seemed minutes she eventually pulled back.

"Kate, this is… that was… Wow." Rick said as he tried to steady his breath.

Kate let her hands return to his chest and she felt his heartbeat under her palms. His heartbeat raced even more when she leaned in again and placed a quick kiss on his lips, just enough to have another taste. She grinned when she felt his heartbeat.

His hands still on her waist, she lowered her arms and pushed his hands gently away. "I think we should go back…" She said and looked up.

"Yeah. Do you have anything to do tomorrow?" He asked suddenly.

"Well, um just work." She replied.

"Do you want to go out to dinner with me? You know, like a date." He asked, waiting anxiously for her response.

"Yes, that would be nice." She said and smiled at him.

"Good, pick you up at seven?" He asked, looking like a nine-year old in Disneyland again.

"Um, yeah sure." She said and stepped away from him, gesturing him to step away from the door. When she reached the doorknob with her hand she suddenly felt his body heat radiate across her back. She stilled when he leaned in further and heard him whisper in her ear, "I wish I could've been there."

She frowned and slightly turned her head before she asked, "Where?"

"When you had that hot chocolate mustache-moment", he replied with a grin.

"Oh, shut up." She said as she opened the door and re-entered the living room, closely followed by Castle.

-

**A/N: So far for dessert, I hope you liked it and I would love you to review. In the next chapter I'll probably delve some deeper into the murder. Since I'm gone this weekend, don't expect an update until next week. **


	5. Ch 5: Fair Warning

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate them! I hope you'll like this chapter.**

Ch 5: Fair Warning

The next morning when Kate arrived at the precinct, early as always, a cup of coffee was already on her desk with a note beside it. She walked over to sit down in her chair and started to read the note.

_Good morning detective,  
You're early, as usual. But this time I was earlier to make you coffee.  
Am I not the greatest? Oh and the coffee is just the way you like it.  
I wrote this note to give you a fair warning. Yesterday at work, you  
were teasing me very subtly. Today is my turn… Only I'm usually not  
that subtle. But don't worry tonight I will be a real gentleman, only  
if you want me to, of course.  
And about tonight…_

Kate flipped the note around to read the rest, only to find out there was nothing else. He'd had just stopped writing.

"I see, you've read the note…" Castle whispered in her ear and made her jump. She turned around to find a very amused Castle grinning at her._  
_

"Oh I'm sorry detective did I startle you?" He asked innocently.

"No you didn't. I was just…" She said and tried to think of something to say, when she couldn't she decided to change the subject. "What about tonight?" She asked, referring to the note.

"Oh you want to know that don't you?" He said with a grin. "But I'm not telling you, I like to… surprise you."

"What do I have to wear?" She asked just as Ryan and Esposito walked in.

"What are you talking about Beckett?" Ryan asked.

"Eh… I was just, talking to myself." Beckett replied.

"What do you have to wear when?" Esposito asked.

"Yeah Beckett, do you have a hot date tonight, or something?" Castle added.

"I do have a date, but it's none of your business if he's hot." She said and looked at Castle.

"So… who is he?" Castle asked her.

"No one you'd know." She answered.

"Well, can you at least tell us where he's taking you to?" Castle asked.

Beckett narrowed her eyes. Castle hadn't even told her where he would take her to. They would go out for dinner, that's the only thing she knew for sure. "I'm not telling you that either, so you just have to leave that to your imagination."

"So is that guy is allowed to take you anywhere he wants?" He asked.

"No, definitely not. Just dinner and maybe… _dessert._" She said and grinned at him.

Castle smiled and thought back to what had happened after yesterday's dessert. Hmm… well he had sure liked that.

Ryan and Esposito watched their conversation and exchanged glances. They both had the feeling that they were missing something. But they both didn't exactly know _what_ they missing.

"Beckett, we brought in the guy the vic's parents told you about. His name is Roger and it seemed like he and our vic got into a lot of fights in school." Esposito said, getting back Beckett's attention.

"Great, Castle and I−,"Beckett started.

"Will let you interrogate this one, while we'll watch." Castle finished her sentence.

"Castle!" Beckett shot him an angry glance.

"Well, they brought him in right? So it seems only fair." Castle said with his trademark boyish grin.

Beckett narrowed her eyes and watched him as he walked away towards the interrogation rooms. He was up to something, but she didn't know _what._ Somehow she had the feeling she was about to find out.

Castle held open the door for her and followed her inside. They watched as Ryan and Esposito entered the interrogation room and started. "Roger, do you know why you're here?" Ryan started.

"Probably because Roy is dead. It's all over school." He answered.

"And why do you think we picked _you_ out all of his classmates?" Esposito asked.

Roger shrugged and said, "Because that jerk always started fighting with me, so I had to defend myself occasionally."

Ryan put some pictures down in front of him. It were pictures from the school security camera. Pictures of seeing Roger and Roy fight.

Behind the mirror Castle was starting to do what he had planned. He took a step closer to Beckett. Beckett took a step away. Castle turned a bit so he was facing her and took another step toward her. Beckett once again took a step back. They continued this until Beckett hit the wall with her back. Castle grinned and took a step closer, knowing that Beckett couldn't take a step back anymore.

He was now so close she could feel his breath on her face. "Castle…" She said. She wanted to say something else, but the words got stuck in her throat. She wanted to push him away but somehow she wasn't able to move. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest.

Castle smiled when he saw her eyes linger on his lips. He closed even more distance between them and slowly leaned in…

She felt her breath hitch in her throat when he leaned in. She heard some small part in her brain that still functioned scream to push him away. He shouldn't have such an influence over her. Only inches away from her lips he stopped and said, "You know detective…" When his lips didn't go to hers like she expected she felt a pang of disappointment. Instead of kissing her he moved to her ear and whispered, "You should really pay more attention to the interrogation."

With that he leaned back, took a step away from her and watched the interrogation with a satisfied grin plastered on his face. When Beckett's mind became a bit more organized she burned holes in his head with her eyes before focusing on the other side of the mirror.

"I did give you a fair warning detective…" Castle said, after seeing her angry glare.

**-**

A/N: The next chapter will probably involve more of the case, but the chapter after that will be about the date. Of course it isn't sure yet but it probably will be. So don't forgot to review, I always look forward to knowing what you think about a chapter. 


	6. Ch 6: Not So Quick

**A/N: The first chapter I'm posting this year! I hope you'll like it, and a happy new year everyone!**

**Ch 6: Not So Quick**

"Well, he's not our guy. He was at his sick grandmother, in the hospital." Esposito said after the interrogation.

"But he did say something about a football competition at school, apparently our vic was team-captain." Ryan added.

"Hm, well did he have any team mates that he didn't get along with?" Beckett asked.

"Yes one, his name is Daniel. He was supposed to be team-captain before Roy moved here. He was pretty pissed about it." Esposito answered.

Ryan and Esposito looked at exchanged glances and looked from Beckett to Castle. "But you were behind the mirror, right? So why does it look like you missed all that?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah Beckett, what were you two doing back there?" Esposito added.

Beckett could feel the gaze of all three men in the room resting on her and she felt heat rising to her cheeks. "Castle was once again making up stupid scenario's about the murder." She finally replied. "I tried to get him to pay attention but he just had to keep talking trough it with his crazy theories." She caught Castle's gaze and he grinned at her.

"Really…? So what was it this time Castle?" Ryan asked.

"Well, I was thinking…" _Come on, you'd better come up with something very quick,_ he thought. "The place he was found was at the bottom of a lake. My first theory was, that there's something down there… like a monster, or a gigantic alligator." _Seriously. That's the best you can think of? Hm, well I hope I don't get writer's block again, _Castle thought.

"Okay Castle, I think I already heard enough." Ryan laughed.

"No seriously bro, got writer's block again?" Esposito asked with a wide grin.

"Hey, do you know how hard it is to come up with something?" Castle defended himself. "It might look easy to you but it isn't always like that."

"Sure Castle. Now if you don't mind Ryan and I are going to pick up a _real _suspect. Unless you want to bring in the gigantic alligator?" Esposito said and he and Ryan walked away.

"I want coffee. Do you want coffee?" Castle said and got up before Beckett pulled him back on his seat again.

"Not so quick Castle." She said to him.

Castle turned to her and said with a playful grin, "Wanna make out first?" and wriggled his eyebrows.

Beckett shot an angry glance at him and chose to leave it at that. "That what you just did during the interrogation… Don't do it again." She said.

"Or else…? Oh wait I know! Is that the part where you'll bring out the handcuffs?" Castle replied enthusiastically.

Beckett got up from her chair and walked around his chair. When she was behind him she let her hands trail up and down over his chest and continued walking until she stood in front of him. She leaned in until their faces were only inches apart and said, "Or else…" and paused.

Castle watched her in awe and had to remember to keep breathing. When she ran her hands over his chest he had to keep himself from turning around, pushing her against a wall and kiss her. He looked into her eyes and waited for her to continue what she was saying. Or else what? he wanted to know.

"Or else I won't wear the dress you picked out for me tonight." She finished.

"How did you know I picked out a dress for you?" Castle asked surprised. He had looked into fashion magazines from Alexis and he had ordered a dress for Beckett. He had given special instructions to deliver it to her place an hour before their date.

"This fell out of your pocket." She replied while she held up a ripped out paper with an arrow at the dress he had picked out.

"Oh." Castle said.

"But if you want I could always just wear this." She said while gesturing at her normal work outfit.

Castle's eyes widened and he quickly replied, "No, no, that's not necessary, I'll behave until the end of your shift."

"Good. And now you can get me that coffee you were talking about." She said and leaned back in her chair. She grinned as Castle immediately hurried towards the break room to get her a coffee.

* * *

Ryan, Esposito and Castle were discussing the case when Beckett got up from her chair and said, "Bye guys."

"Woa, wait. Where are you going?" Castle said and hurried to keep up with her.

"I'm going home." She replied. She furrowed her brow when she looked at the place she'd left her coat earlier that day. "Where's my coat?" She asked Castle who suddenly grinned about something.

Castle got her coat from behind her back and showed it to her. "Here it is. I'll give it to you if I can help you put it on." He said with a smile.

Beckett reached forward to grab the coat but Castle quickly pulled it away, and held it just out of her reach. "Castle give me my coat!" She said impatiently.

"Will you let me put it on?" He asked.

"No! Just give it to me." She ordered.

With a wicked grin Castle ran out of the precinct. Beckett, slightly surprised at first, ran after him. When she came outside Castle was nowhere to be seen. "Castle where are you?" She asked while she scanned the area. "Damnit Castle, it's freakin' cold out here!"

"Hm, I'll just have to do something about that then." He whispered in her ear.

Beckett turned around and was startled at his close proximity. Castle grinned before saying, "It's really easy you know. Just hold up a bit and I'll slip on the coat."

"Okay fine." She finally admitted defeat and let Castle put on her coat.

"That wasn't so hard now was it?" Castle said and Beckett muttered something under her breath.

"Until tonight, detective." Castle said while he took one of her cold hands in his and placed a kiss on it. Beckett watched him closely with wide eyes and said, "Until tonight Castle."

-

**A/N: So the next chapter will be the date. I've already got some ideas and I'm gonna give you some three words that will be in the next chapter: Candles, a hobo and a blindfold… So that might sound strange (which maybe it is) but well their date has gotta be special. I mean it is Castle we're talking about.  
**


	7. Ch 7: Magical Surprises

**A/N: Warning may contain loads of fluff… :P**

**Ch 7: Magical Surprises**

Castle took a deep breath, straightened his clothes and knocked on her door. He hadn't been this nervous for a date since high-school. Hopefully she wouldn't notice that, though, he thought.

Beckett took one last look in the mirror before walking to the door. Damn she was nervous. The dress Castle had send her about an hour ago looked beautiful, but still. She took a deep breath and thought, _relax it's just Castle_. With that she opened the door only to see Castle with a large bouquet of flowers in his hands. Or rather, she saw a large bouquet of flowers and a little piece of Castle behind it.

"Goodnight Kate. I would say you look stunning, which I'm sure you do, but I can't really see you through these flowers." His muffled voice said.

"You didn't need to get me flowers you know." She said.

He sighed loudly before saying, "I wanted to. Just as I wanted to buy you a dress."

She went to her kitchen and came back with a vase. Castle put the flowers inside it for her. Now that was done he could have a clear look at her for the first time. "Wow, you really do look stunning." He said causing a traitorous blush to appear on her cheeks.

"Thanks Castle, you look quite good yourself." She replied.

Castle smiled knowing that was a huge compliment coming from her. "You know, we agreed that you could call me Rick and I could call you Kate right?" He reminded her.

"Yes, I know. So where are you taking me _Rick?_" She asked.

"Ah… You'll see that quick enough." He answered and walked to the doorway to pick up something he'd left there.

"What's that?" Kate asked suspiciously while she looked at the object he was holding.

"That, my dear detective, would be a picnic basket." He said with a grin. "So are you ready to go?"

"Are we going to picnic?" She asked suddenly not so sure the dress she wore was right for that.

"Something like that…" He replied.

"But then I've gotta change because this dress is way too cold." She said gesturing at the dress she was wearing. I was a beautiful shade of red, and the dress hugged her figure in all the right places. Only it wasn't even knee-length. Way too short for the cold weather outside.

"Don't worry I've got everything covered." He said and helped her into her coat.

He handed her his arm and said, "Let's go."

* * *

The taxi drive took about twenty minutes. When the taxi stopped at the address Castle had given him and they got out Kate couldn't believe it. And it wasn't the unbelievable kind that was good. They were standing in front of a building. A building that looked like some kind of haunted mansion, only it wasn't even a mansion. Windows were broke, the paint was faded and the lights were out. It looked deserted, as did the whole neighborhood.

Castle watched her as she watched the building almost in horror. "So what do you think?" He asked her.

She looked at him and he looked serious. "Honestly… it looks like crap." She said hoping this would be some kind of joke. Maybe she was just having the nightmare of the worst date ever.

"Tsss… Kate. Haven't you learned by now, you should never judge a book by its cover? But I agree it looks like crap, that's why I got something…" He said and took something out of the picnic basket and walked closer to her.

"What you got in your hands Castle?" She asked.

"A blindfold." He stated. "You don't have to see the parts of this building that look like crap. So I'm just going to take you to the good part." He said and moved to put the blindfold on her.

"Wait." She said and held her hand up to stop him. He just shook his head as he put his arms around her wrists and lowered her arms.

He looked into her eyes, smiled and said, "Just trust me, at least for this once."

When she saw the sincerity in his eyes she sighed in defeat and allowed him to put on the blindfold. When he had done that she felt him grab her hand and guide her forward. Suddenly he stopped and let go of her hand. She heard him walk around her and suddenly he lifted her in his arms, his left hand under the hollow of her knees and the other arm supporting her back.

"Castle what are you doing?!" She exclaimed.

"It's Rick. And what does it look like I'm doing?" Immediately realizing his wrong choice of words he corrected, "I mean what does it feel like I'm doing?"

"Why are you carrying me? I can walk myself." She said.

"Oh I know, but I don't want you to accidentally walk into something. It is quite dark in here." He replied.

Finally he stopped and put her down. When he took her blindfold off she gasped at the sight in front of her. They were standing in a courtyard. In the middle was a picnic cloth, and next to that was a crackling fire burning in a fireplace. A few beautiful candles were burning in the middle and the walls were decorated with thousands of little lights. It looked magical.

"Do you like it?" Castle asked after a few moments of silence had passed.

She had a hard time tearing her eyes away from the beautiful scene in front of her but finally turned to him. "Yes, it's beautiful." She answered him with a smile.

He leaded her to the picnic cloth and took her coat before she sat down. He took off his coat too and put her coat on top of his beside him. Although it was cold outside the fire kept them warm. On the cloth were already empty wine glasses and cutlery.

"What would you like to drink?" he asked her and opened the picnic basket.

"What's _that_?" She asked in shock as she saw the contents of the basket for the first time. It was filled with different bottles of wine, and some other drinks.

"Oh, just about the most expensive bottles of wine I could find in my liquor cabinet. I mean, although I do know how you take your coffee, I don't know what kind of wine you like yet. So I wanted to come prepared." He said.

"Didn't you bring any food?" She asked in an astonished tone.

He grinned and said, "You didn't honestly think that I would take food with me? Then it would get cold way too soon and it wouldn't taste good."

Her brow knotted in confusion. "Well, what are we going to eat then?" She asked.

"Whatever you want. I hired a chef to cook for us. Usually he works at the most expensive restaurant in the city but he owed me a favor." He answered. "Now, what did you want to drink?"

She raised an eyebrow challengingly before saying, "I'll let you choose Rick. Pick whatever you think I would like the most."

He smiled before getting a bottle of wine out of the basket. He opened it professionally and poured it into her glass. Red wine, her favorite. He looked at her expectantly as she raised the glass to her lips, gauging her reaction closely.

When she tasted it her eyes grew wide. It was the most delicious wine she'd ever tasted. Sweet, but not too sweet. "This… Is the best wine I've ever tasted." She said after taking another sip.

Castle grinned triumphantly. "It figures." He said.

"Why…?" She wanted to know.

"Because it's the most expensive wine I've got. You do seem to have an costly taste." He replied while he grinned cheekily.

At that moment a waiter walked towards them and gave them menus.

"So Rick, what made you choose this instead of some fancy restaurant?" She asked, curious about his answer.

"Well there are a couple of reasons. First of all, the paparazzi. If they saw me having dinner with you in some fancy restaurant it would be on the cover of some gossip magazine the next day." He told her. "And I did it because I knew you'd like this better. That's because I just found out after the case with Jeremy that you are a romantic. And well, this is a lot more romantic than having dinner in the same room as hundred other people." He said and gave her a crooked smile that almost made her heart jump out of her chest.

All she did was just smile at him until the waiter returned to take their orders. After the waiter had left she had another question. "How did you find this place anyway? And does it even have a kitchen?"

"A hobo." He said. "I found this place because of hobo called Steve. I was doing research for one of my Derek storm novels about the live as a hobo. This one guy, Steve, really helped me out. So in return of his help I gave him enough money to buy a descent apartment. But he decided to buy this. Although the outside may seem a little… crappy, he has built a giant kitchen and a beautiful bed- and living room in the heart of it. He kept the hallway and the front like this to remind him of his old life." He said.

She smiled and said, "You really take your _research _seriously don't you?"

"As a heart attack. That's why I chose to base Nikki Heat on you. Because you're not just some hot detective that is a good murder-solver. You're more than that…" He said and leaned slightly forward and looked into. He tilted his head a bit before whispering, "You're extraordinary."

Damn it. How did he always do that to her? She shivered the moments those words left his mouth. She was breathless. He got her breathless with as much as a few whispered words. What was he, a detective whisperer or something? Her heart thudded loudly in her chest as she saw his eyes stare intensely in hers. She couldn't deny the obvious attraction, not anymore. Although she hadn't been able to that since their first kiss, she still tried to. She had convinced herself that it was just physical, nothing more. But those eyes. Those damn eyes that seemed to be looking straight through her soul. Straight through all the defenses she had carefully built up around her.

The waiter arrived again with their food and they broke their stare. They ate, sometimes just staring at each other, sometimes talking. Every once in a while he made a joke, and made her laugh. God, did he love to see her laugh. He was pleased to see that she was having a good time. Every time he saw her smile at him, or looked into his eyes, he felt warm inside. Yes, he had fallen for her, hard. At first when they just met, he didn't really have feelings for her. He thought she was undeniably hot and incredibly attractive but once he started to know her better it became more. Much more.

She noticed a faraway look in his eyes. " What are you thinking about Castle?" She asked, and immediately remember she should call him Rick and corrected herself.

He gave her a heartwarming smile and replied, " You."

He did it again. This time with one single word. He let her insides melt for him and she felt a blush come up to her cheeks. She had a good time with him tonight but still, out of old habit, she kept building up defenses around her. But he shattered them every time.

" So did you like the food?" He asked when he knew she wasn't going to reply to his comment.

" Yes it was delicious." She answered and gave him a warm smile.

"So that only leaves dessert…" He said. "Do you like Sundays?" He asked her.

"Yes I love them." She replied.

"Good." He said, got up and handed her, her coat.

"Where are we going?" She asked curiously.

"To my apartment." Seeing her look of confusion he clarified, "I make the best Sundays in town."

" Hmm… We'll see about that." She said playfully as they outside, into the beautiful winter night.

-

**A/N: So far for the hobo, the blindfold and a couple of candles. You might expected something completely different, but I hope this is satisfying enough. This chapter is the longest so far, because I have a busy week ahead of me. Meaning, I probably won't be able to update again until next weekend. So… Is one week long enough to write a review? I think so, but I'll just have to wait and see…**


	8. Ch 8: First Fight

**A/N: Thanks so much for all your reviews! They really make me happy which makes me want to write, which gives you something to review. So you see the circle there…  
Oh and a reminder for everyone, and a heads up for the people who didn't know yet… Monday, there will be a NEW EPISODE!!! 2x11, A Rose for Ever After. I can't wait, don't forget to watch!**

**Ch 8: First Fight**

Kate Beckett was awake but not quite ready to get up yet. She nuzzled deeper into the sheets and inhaled. When the sweet scent of what could only be described as a mixture of washing powder, cologne and something typically Castle reached her nose, her eyes flew wide open.

Just the smell of his sheets triggered her memory. Last night. She smiled to herself when she thought back on last night's events. Of course there was the date. It was probably the best date ever, she thought. She looked at the bedroom floor, clothes spread across it. Okay, she mentally corrected herself, it was _definitely _the best date ever. When they had returned to his apartment he had made the most delicious Sunday for her. God, did he know how to make the perfect combination of ice-cream, chocolate and a whole lot of other ingredients. She smiled again and then turned around to…

An empty bed.

She immediately sat up straight, her brow knit in confusion. He didn't say he had to leave, did he? Her smile faltered and her eyes swiftly scanned the room. She stopped when she saw him standing in the doorway, casually leaning against the doorframe, a wicked grin plastered on his face.

"Did you miss me already?" He asked teasingly.

She muttered something not quite understandable, plumped back down on the bed while she buried herself under his sheets. She hated mornings.

"Well, no need to get all grumpy detective. I made you breakfast." He said and she felt something being put down on her lap. She heard him walk around the bed and soon she felt the warmth of his body radiate against hers.

"Good morning." He murmured in her ear as his hands encircled her waist from behind.

He pulled her up to his chest and she turned her face toward him. "Good morning" She said with a smile. She leaned in and kissed him softly. When the kiss intensified he leaned back and growled, breathless, "Breakfast… lap… eat."

"Can't speak in full sentences anymore Rick?" She teased.

"Just… eat." He said, not able to think of any kind of witty reply.

For the first time she looked down at her lap, to see a tray filled with food. He wasn't seriously expecting her to eat all that was he? She thought, looking at all the food when she spotted a steaming cup of coffee. She curled her hands around the cup and took a sip, letting the fluid slowly glide down her throat. Hm… just what she needed.

Castle had moved aside a bit and was now watching her drink her coffee while studying her features. Her hair was a little bit messy and she wore no make-up but he had never seen her look this sexy. Well apart from last night of course. It was probably just the complete picture, her sitting in his bed, sheets draped across her naked body and she was drinking coffee out of one of _his _coffee cups.

"Will you stop staring at me?" She eventually asked when she noticed his gaze on her.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because it's creepy, go stare at… I don't know your feet, or something." She replied. To be honest she didn't think it was creepy. But it was just the _way_ he stared at her. The look in his eyes. It made her feel a bit uneasy to say at least. He looked at her lovingly. And although she already sort of admitted to herself that she loved him and she would be thrilled if he felt the same way… Well, they say old habits die hard. She always kept people at a distance, and it was still hard to let him in.

"My feet aren't interesting. I want to look at you because… You're really beautiful." He said while looking straight into her eyes. He saw a blush appear on her cheeks and she averted her gaze.

"So…" He finally said after a few moments of silence. "We should talk." He stated.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" She changed the subject when she noticed he hadn't eaten a thing yet.

"No, I already quickly ate something in the kitchen, this is all for you." He answered. "But good try at changing the subject." He said and grinned at her.

When she finally looked at him she remained silent, waiting for him to start. He got the hint and said, "Okay, first I want to say something about last night. It was seriously the best date I ever had and also with the most amazing woman I have ever met. And well, I'm just going to ask this now because maybe I wouldn't do it anymore at any other time…" He said and took a deep breath. "Kate Beckett, do you want to be my, for lack of a better word, girlfriend?"

"Yes…" She said and furrowed her brow. She'd said she wanted to be his girlfriend, which she honestly did. But if she would be, that was different. They did sort of work together and he already had a family. She knew it were all totally lame excuses but she couldn't just say yes could she? Things in her live had never been that simple. So this couldn't be this simple either, right?

"But…?" Castle asked. He'd noticed the faraway look in her eyes and her furrowed brow.

Finally she seemed to have taken a decision. "No buts, just yes." She said with a smile. She hoped things, for once, just be simple, just be nice. When a big smile appeared on his face and he leaned in to kiss her she suddenly remembered something. "Oh wait." She suddenly said, raising one finger to stop him from kissing her.

Castle who was grinning like an idiot asked, "What?"

"Just some ground rules." She said.

"Aw… I was hoping you'd forget that. Rules totally spoil the fun." He said, a playful grin still plastered on his face.

She just rolled her eyes . "No seriously. First of all, no physical displays of affection at work. And no distracting me on cases." She added with a warning look.

"Objection." Castle said.

"You know we're not in court, right?" Beckett replied.

"Oh I know, but these rules… I don't like them." He said.

"Well I don't care, as long as you just obey them." She replied.

"Hm… Okay, as long as I occasionally can break a rule or two." He said with a devilish smile.

"If by occasionally you mean, once in ten years, then I agree."

Castle face lit up before saying, "You think we'll be that long together?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it again. She thought for a second and then said, "I don't know, anyway I wasn't done with the rules yet. Just one more thing…" She bit her lip.

"What?"

"Well… What are we going to tell… people. Are we going to tell them about us?" She looked a bit insecure. Of course she wasn't embarrassed for being Castle's girlfriend, but still… She didn't know if she could deal with Ryan and Esposito knowing yet.

"I'm going to tell Alexis and my mother. If you don't want to tell anyone else yet I'm fine with that." He replied, knowing what she was worried about.

"I just… I don't know." She started saying but didn't know how to continue.

"Okay I've got an idea. What if we don't tell anyone else yet, unless they specifically ask. That way we don't have tell them first." He said.

She smiled at him. "That sounds good." That was when she looked at the clock and her eyes grew wide. She immediately got out of bed and started grabbing her clothes of the floor.

"Kate." He said, getting her attention.  
"Why didn't you tell me it was so late?" She said accusingly.

"Yeah well, about that. Em… first just get back into bed." He said.

"Why?" She asked him with narrowed eyes.

"Well, I kind of called you in sick today…" He said and looked guiltily at her.

"You WHAT?"She said, not sure if she'd heard it correctly.

"I called you in sick. Well technically my mother did, but I wrote down exactly what she should say."

"Your. Mother. Called. Me. In. SICK?!" She said agonizingly slow, emphasizing every word. "First of all, I haven't called in sick in TWO years! And what about the whole 'We're not going to tell anyone anything yet'? When _your _mother calls _me_ in sick, I think it's kind of suspicious."

"Well, she is an actress. I wrote down the exact words that she should say and she coughed a lot and pretended to have a sore throat. That way the difference in 'your' voice wouldn't be noticed." He explained and he saw her calm down as bit as she sat back on the bed. "Oh and I used your phone. So they don't know anything. The captain called me right after that to tell me that you were sick."

Now that, that information started to sink in she suddenly remember something else. "Wasn't your mother at Chet's?" She asked.

"Em, she was supposed to. But she forgot that Chet had a night planned with his friends. So she came home last night and she kind of heard… Noises from my bedroom." He said.

She had a look of shock mixed with embarrassment on her face as she gave him an angry glare.

Castle raised his hands in defense and said, "Hey, don't look at me. As I recall you were the one that made the most noise especially when−" He started but got cut off when she hit him with a pillow.

"Ouch!" He exclaimed.

"Oh don't be such a baby, it was only a pillow." She replied amused before she remembered that she was supposed to be mad at him. "You still had no right to call me in sick." She said and crossed her arms.

"Well, the end justifies the means." He said.

"That's totally untrue!" She said and got up from the bed again. "I don't miss work, ever. And I _never ever _call in sick, when I'm actually not!" She had started yelling again but didn't care. She loved her job right now she was really angry at him for doing what he did.

Suddenly Castle started laughing. It started out as a soft chuckle but now he was just laughing very hard.

"I don't see how this is funny Castle." She said, working really hard to keep herself from laughing with him.

"Well," He said when the laughing had finally calmed down a bit. "We're together for…." He paused to glance at the clock on his nightstand. "Less than 15 minutes and we already have our first fight. And the way you just looked, with your arms crossed, like a stubborn child." He said and started laughing again.

This time she couldn't hold back anymore and laughed with him. They eventually ended up lying next to each other on the bed, where they were calming down from their laughing fit.

"So…" Castle started. "Is this the moment when we have hot make up sex?" He said hopeful.

She rolled her eyes before leaning in to kiss him. He deepened the kiss and eventually moved down do her neck. He planted kisses all over her neck until he got the right spot. A moan escaped her lips. He leaned back, grinned and whispered against her lips, "I take that as a yes…"


	9. Ch 9: Back to Work

**A/N: I just watched the newest Castle episode (2x13) and I loved it. Did anyone notice that Beckett's and Kyra's initials are both KB? Coincidence or did the writers do it on purpose?  
Anyway I want to apologize for the lack in updating. I've been meaning to update sooner but I kind of had a writer's block. Which sucked.  
I'm really happy with all your reviews and hope that you'll keep reading and reviewing this story.**Castle was making breakfast for Alexis, Kate and himself. While he professionally tossed around an omelet Kate entered the kitchen. "Rick, do you have anything against a sore throat?" she asked and coughed loudly.

Ch 9: Back to Work

"Here Kate, it's still on the table, my dad just used it." Alexis, who was sitting at one of the bar stools said.

"Thank you Alexis." She said and sat down next to her while Castle put down a cup of coffee in front of her.

Kate smiled at how normal it all seemed. Waking up in his arms, having breakfast with his family. Well, most of his family anyway, Martha was at Chet's again. She was glad Alexis was happy for them too. She had been a bit worried about how she would take it but when Rick had told her they were together, the first thing she did was congratulate them and hug Kate. It was nice to have family like this, she thought. But it also scared the hell out of her. Kate knew she couldn't just back away anymore, which she usually did when someone got too close.

She heard Rick cough loudly and she looked up. She had been coughing all afternoon yesterday and it seemed like he had caught it too. Rick put a plate with food in front of her and Alexis and the sweet smell filled the air. Suddenly Kate felt nauseous and she really didn't want to eat anything. She shoved her plate aside a little and Rick pulled up an eyebrow.

"Not hungry?" He asked her.

"No, I'm feeling a bit nauseous." She said and coughed again.

"Okay, as long as it isn't about my cooking skills." He replied with a grin.

Alexis ate and suddenly noticed that she was the only one doing so. "Dad, aren't you going to eat?" She asked her father.

"No pumpkin, I'm not hungry." He answered.

"Dad, you know that it's totally unhealthy to skip breakfast, right? You should really eat." She said in a stern voice.

"Alexis I'm honestly not hungry." He replied.

Kate watched the two arguing. It was kind of funny actually. Alexis insisting that her father eats breakfast because it's unhealthy of he doesn't. An on the other hand Rick, insisting that he's fine and doesn't want any food. Probably in any other family it would be the other way around.

Kate's cell phone rang and she checked the caller-id before answering it. "Beckett."

"Detective Beckett, I wanted to know if you're going to be at work again today." Captain Montgomery asked.

"Yes, sir I am." She replied.

"Okay then I'll call Castle to say that he can get back to work." Montgomery said.

"No need sir." She said but regretted it the moment the words left her mouth.

"Why not Beckett?" He asked, an amused but also suspicious tone in his voice.

"I um… He called me this morning to ask how I was doing. I already told him I was getting back to work." She said, hoping he would buy it.

"Alright, then I'll see you and Castle in about thirty minutes." Came the reply.

"Bye, sir." She said and ended the call.

* * *

Castle and Beckett arrived at the precinct together. When Ryan and Esposito saw them coming in together they went over to Beckett's desk, waiting for them. When they entered the office area, Castle and Beckett are greeted by the sight of the two smirking detectives.

"So, driving together to work now?" Esposito said.

"Yeah, Beckett are you sure you're not still sick?" Ryan added.

Although a faint blush appeared on Beckett's cheeks, she managed to stay calm. Luckily Castle was quick to come up with a story, at least so she thought "Aah… yes, she finally succumbed to my charms." Castle grinned but when he saw Beckett's angry glare, he continued, "Well, I decided to pick her up this morning, because I heard she was sick yesterday. So I thought she shouldn't drive. She did put up quite a struggle, let me tell you."

"Oh, dude, you're lucky that she didn't stole your keys and drove away with your car herself." Esposito replied.

"Seriously Castle, suggesting that Beckett shouldn't drive? Bad idea." Ryan said.

"Yes I kind of noticed that this morning. She eventually agreed to drive in my car, only if she would be the one behind the steering wheel." Castle said.

"Okay, enough about that. Guys, fill me in on the case." She ordered.

Ryan and Esposito glanced at each other before Ryan said, "Did I hear a please?"

Beckett rolled her eyes and replied, "No, but it was implied."

"Hm, well alright then. There was this one guy, Daniel. He was the jealous guy from our vic's football team. We asked him some questions, but he has a solid alibi. We did however got another suspect. The vic's girlfriend apparently had a pretty jealous ex called Michael." Ryan filled them in.

Esposito added, "And Michael has quite the record… He's been pressed with assault charges, illegal drug use, possession of a gun, and so on."

"Did you question him yet?" Beckett asked.

"No, not yet. We do have his address and the address of his school, we figured you wanted to go there if you'd be here today." Esposito answered. "We also printed his class schedule, right now he's in…" He paused to look at the paper he was holding. "Math's class."

"Okay, Castle let's go." Beckett was already in motion and Castle quickly followed her to her car.

-

**A/N: So this might be a little bit short but I hope you'll forgive me for that. I'll try to update soon, and I already have an idea for the next chapters. Let me tell you one thing, our beloved couple isn't really going to like it, but hopefully you will…**


	10. Ch 10: Following Rules

**A/N: Thank you all sooo much for reviewing! Reviews really make me happy and make me want to update quicker. So here's a new chapter, enjoy (hopefully). :)**

Ch 10: Following Rules

"Michael Polenta?" An old looking lady said after she'd entered the full classroom.

A boy looked up from his book when he heard his name and replied, "Yeah, that's me."

"There are two people waiting for you in the principal's office." She informed him. "You're expected there right now." She clarified when he didn't immediately got up.

Michael slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked out of the classroom, not knowing what was wrong this time. He was no stranger to the principal's office. But he didn't quite get why there were _two _people that wanted to waiting for him.

* * *

"This is so _awesome_." Castle said as he sat down in the principal's chair. "You know this office really looks different from this side of the desk." He said. He had sat at the other side a lot of times when he was still in high-school. Well not at this particular school but somehow all the principal offices he had been in all looked sort of the same. It was true though, sitting on this side of the desk in a principal's office made him feel… powerful. That and the chair was way more comfortable.

Beckett just rolled her eyes and took a seat beside him. The principal had agreed to let them use his office to interrogate Michael in, since taking him down to the office would cause to much uproar in the already disturbing days they had after the murder of one of their students.

Suddenly she felt a hand slowly rub circles on her knee and slowly move up to her thigh. The hand moved up and slightly pulled up the hem of her shirt, caressing the piece of exposed skin. She looked aside to the owner of the hand and said, "Castle, what the hell are you doing?"

A small smile tugged at his lips as he rolled his chair closer to her. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I'm just following the rules. Your rules." He took her earlobe in his mouth and moved down to plant kisses in her neck. He continued kiss across her jawbone until he came dangerously close to her lips. She wanted to stop him, she honestly did. But somehow she couldn't find her voice, that and the only thing she could focus on was the feeling of his lips against her skin. Finally his lips reached hers and they kissed. Her hands found their way to the collar of his shirt, and tugged him closer.

"Oh jeez, you called me in here for a peepshow?" A voice startled them and Beckett immediately shoved Castle away, suddenly remembering where they were.

She cleared her throat and said, "I'm detective Beckett and this is Richard Castle, we've got a few questions about the murder of Roy Fulter."

Michael shut the door behind him and sat down. "Yeah, what about it?"

"Where were you Saturday night between ten and twelve?" She asked him.

"What, you think I killed him?!" He said, clearly upset.

"Answer the question, Michael." She ordered.

"I was at home in my room, watching a movie." He said.

"Did anyone see that movie with you?" Castle cut in.

"No." He replied.

"Is it true that Roy's girlfriend was your ex?" Beckett asked.

Michael gritted his teeth before answering, "That son of a bitch stole her from me. He told her lies about me."

"I guess that got you pretty upset." Castle said. "You're in the swim-team, right Michael?"

"Yes." He said, clearly confused.

"And we heard from Roy's mother that he was afraid of water… Roy was found on the bottom of a lake. That does make you look pretty suspicious don't you think?" Castle continued.

Michael shifted uncomfortably and said, "You've got no proof."

Beckett exchanged glances with Castle. Michael didn't even deny it anymore, they only needed to break him.

"I want a lawyer." Michael said. "Without a lawyer I won't say anything else. I do have rights."

"You're right, in that case we're going to take you down to the station." Beckett said and stood up.

Michael walked in between Castle and Beckett. When they were outside, walking towards the car he suddenly ran away, into the busy streets of New York. Beckett and Castle ran after him but he'd disappeared into the sea of people. "Great." Beckett said sarcastically and dialed Esposito's number on her cell phone.

"Hey Esposito, it's Beckett... Yeah, our suspect got away, can you get an APB out on Michael Polenta? Ok thanks." She said and ended the call before turning to Castle.

"What was that?" She demanded to know.

"What was what?" He asked, confused.

She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow before saying, "The 'peepshow' in the principal's office. You were _not _following the rules."

"Oh but I was, Kate." He said with a mischievous smile. "The two rules were, no public displays of affection at work and secondly no distracting you on cases. Although you were working, we weren't _at_ work so I didn't break that rule. And I was trying to get you focused… only not on the case. So, I followed all of your rules."

She narrowed her eyes at him. Damn, she should really have to be a bit clearer about those rules.

"And I don't remember you complaining Katie." He said with a grin.

"Don't. call. Me. Katie." She said, slow, dangerous.

"Aww… why not? I let you call me Ricky." He said.

She was about to reply when her phone rang again. "Beckett… Okay, we'll go there straight away."

"Did they find him?" Castle asked.

"Yeah, he took the subway. If we take the car we can cut him off and wait for him at the next stop. They'll stop the metro from going away until we're there. Ryan are already on their way too"

* * *

Michael looked at his watch. This stop took longer than it was supposed to. He looked around and decided to take his chances and got out. When he walked into the subway station detectives Beckett, Ryan and Esposito were waiting for him. He ran into the opposite direction but they ran after him.

While Beckett ran she suddenly felt all her energy leaving her body. She felt a bit dizzy and after that she fainted and fell on the floor. Ryan and Esposito had already caught Michael and Castle kneeled next to Beckett, a look of worry etched on his face. He checked her pulse which seemed to be ok. He took her into his arms and lifted her body. "I'm going to get her to the hospital." He said to the two almost equally worried detectives.

Castle gently put het down in the car and put the keys in the ignition with trembling hands. He felt nauseous and his stomach hurt because of the worry. He drove off to the hospital, a still unconscious Kate next to him.

-

**A/N: Yeah I know, kind of a cliff hanger… But if you review I'll probably add another chapter again in the weekend. *Smiles-innocently* **


	11. Ch 11: Kissing Disease

**A/N: Just so you know, I'm not a doctor and I don't know anyone who is either. So if I've got something wrong here, blame it on internet.  
Anyway… Here it is, *drum-role* (drum role, especially for Carolina17 :P) **

**Ch 11: Kissing Disease**

"So, you said she felt nauseous this morning and didn't want to eat?" The doctor asked Castle.

"Yes, and she also took a medicine against a sore throat." He added. While he was driving Kate to the hospital, she'd woke up. She had convinced him that she was fine but he had insisted on going to a doctor anyway. So here they were, sitting next to each other in a doctor's office.

"Hmm." The doctor said and scribbled something down in his notebook.

"You know, you can ask questions like those to me too, right?" Kate said, annoyed. Although it was sort of sweet to see Rick all worried about her, she hated being here when she was completely fine.

The doctor gave her a friendly smile and wrote something down again_. And what's with all the notes?_ , she thought. He'd been making notes all the time, from the moment they started talking.

"He had a sore throat too." She said and glanced over to her boyfriend. Oh god. That sounded weird even in her mind. Boyfriend. Rick Castle. A smile started to spread across her face. Yes, it sounded a bit weird, but she totally loved the feeling it gave her to think about _him _as her boyfriend. Which he was.

"Oh." The doctor sat up straight after her comment. He suddenly looked like he'd just heard something very interesting.

"Oh yes, and he didn't eat this morning either. Said, he wasn't hungry." She added, glad to take the focus away from her.

The doctor looked from Castle to Beckett and back. "So, Mr. Castle, do you feel tired at all?" The doctor asked.

"No, not really. Well, maybe a bit but I didn't sleep much last night." He answered honestly and flashed a smile at Kate who began to turn slightly red.

"Okay. Do you or Ms. Beckett feel hot or warmer than usual?" The doctor asked.

Beckett, who just took a sip of her water nearly choked on it. "What?" She asked after she'd stopped coughing.

Before the doctor could reply Castle already answered the doctor, "Yes, when I took her to my car I felt her forehead, and it was really warm. Unhealthy warm." He looked worried again. "What do you think it is doctor?" He asked.

"I still can't be completely sure but it seems that you, Ms. Beckett, have mononucleosis."

"What?" Castle and Beckett said in unison.

"Mono, sometimes also labeled as the 'kissing disease'. You have all the main symptoms. And you probably fainted because, when you have mono you get tired very easily. But, to be completely sure I have to take a blood sample to test it on the virus." The doctor told them. "But did either of you have mono when you were younger?"

"No. Why?" Beckett asked and Castle shook his head as an answer to the doctor's question.

"Because the disease is very common among adolescents. Usually when you've had mono when you were younger, the chances that you get it in the future again are rather small." The doctor explained. "I'm going to have ask another, more personal question…" She doctor started and shifted uncomfortably on his chair. "Have you two ever kissed…?"

"Um… why do you want to know?" Castle asked and his eyes darted towards Kate.

"If you did, it is possible that you might have it too. The virus can be spread by, for example, drinking out of someone's cup. But if it's spread through kissing, the chance that the other person has mono as well, is a lot bigger." The doctor replied. "Losing appetite and a sore throat are also symptoms. It can be possible that you get the other symptoms later."

"Yes, we kissed." Beckett finally said and then added with a grin, while she kept her eyes on Castle, "A lot."

Castle was surprised to hear her say that. Of course, it was true, but he was glad that she dared to say it, even if it was just to some doctor.

After the doctor had taken blood samples from both of them, he said, "I'll call as soon as I get the results. Since mono is a virus, there aren't any medicines against it. You have to rest until the main symptoms are gone, and you can't do any physical exercise for at least a month."

Kate asked, "You mean I can't run after killers?"

"Yes, you just have to stay at home for probably about a week maybe longer. And after that you're only allowed to stay in your office."

Kate swallowed and she shot a side glance at Castle before asking, "Are there any other physical exercises I'm not allowed to do?"

"Well, you can't sport, lift heavy things or have any kind of sexual intercourse." The doctor replied.

Great, she thought sarcastically. She just had a boyfriend, Rick Castle, of all people and then this -happens. She hated it. And what did she have to tell the captain? And Ryan and Esposito? Oh god, she hadn't even told Lanie about her and Castle yet. She should really call her, or have lunch or something like that. Oh wait, she had to rest, so scrap meeting up for lunch from the list. Yes, this really, really sucked.

-

**A/N: So, just for the people who thought she's pregnant, I hope this doesn't disappoint you. But usually you don't have symptoms like nausea and stuff like that after just one or two days. Oh and btw, I'm sorry for this short chapter, I'll promise to make the next one longer. **  
**Also, probably more Castle/Beckett in the next chapter.**


	12. Ch 12: Paparazzi

**A/N: Okay so I have good news and bad news (well, not actually bad for me but more bad for you. Sorry). The good news is that chapter is longer than the last one. The bad news is that there probably won't be a new chapter anytime soon. I'm about to go off to Italy to go skiing/ snowboarding, and I don't really think I've got time to post or write a new chapter there. But I'll promise that if I don't break anything (like an arm, because typing with one hand is really frustrating), I'll add a new chapter when I get back. So you'll just have to wait about… 10 days. But I would still very much like it if you reviewed, that way I've got something to look forward to when I get back. (Or something to read in the hotel, although I'm not sure if they've got wireless internet there.)**

Ch 12: Paparazzi

The next morning Kate woke up in Castle's arms, again. It was starting to turn into a very nice routine which was easier to get used to then she would've thought. She smiled contently and nestled herself closer against his chest. She didn't want to get up, because then she would be closer to having to tell everyone at work that she was sick, once again. Only this time for real. She was dreading all the questions they would ask, of course she would have to tell them the truth eventually. But right now, lying in Rick Castle's arms was all she wanted.

When Castle noticed that she was awake he gently kissed the top of her head and pulled her a little bit closer in his arms. He was spooning her from behind and he could feel the heat of her body radiate against his. Although it sucked to be sick, he secretly kind of liked the idea of Kate and himself having to rest together for a while. He could just lie in bed with her like this all day long.

At that moment their peace was interrupted by the ring of cell phone. Castle picked up the phone and said, "Castle."

"Em… Hi, Castle it's Lanie."

"Hi Lanie, what's up?"

"Uh, Castle…"

"Yes?"

"What are you doing with Beckett's phone?"

Shit, he thought and looked at the phone he was holding. That was definitely not his. Of course this just had to happen to _him. _It was sort of his fault too, because yesterday he had changed Beckett's ringtone to one similar to his. He had said that her old ringtone was boring. But if she'd had that boring ringtone now, he would've realized it was _her_ phone ringing.

Beckett seemed to notice Castle's sudden uncomfortable stiffness and sat up. Then she saw the phone in his hand. _Her _phone in his hand. He was staring at it. "Say something." She whispered urgently.  
He finally seemed to have thought of something and said to Lanie, "She left it here."

Lanie voice sounded suspicious when she said, "Left it where?"

"At my apartment."

"And _when _was she at your apartment?" She asked, obviously starting to get quite amused.

"When… I… She…" He started but couldn't come up with something.

"Okay Castle, never mind. Can I speak with her?" She asked.

"Yeah sure." He said, sounding relieved. That was until he noticed her waving her hands as a signal that 'she wasn't there'. But unfortunately it was too late, so he handed her the phone.

"Hi, Lanie." She answered the phone with an angry glare towards Castle.

"Honey, I'm insulted. You didn't think you could keep something this big from me could you?" Lanie said.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She tried.

"Oh no, don't lie to me girl. The fact that you're at Castle's at 7am in the morning only proves it." Lanie replied.

"Proves what?" Beckett asked, puzzled.

"Oh, so you didn't read it yet…" Lanie said.

"Read what?" She asked suspiciously.

"Oh.. nothing, just a couple of magazines…" Lanie said, sounding slightly uncomfortable.

"_What _magazines?" She asked.

"Oh well, you know. Gossip magazines." Lanie replied. "But don't worry, there are only three in which it's mentioned."

_Only three?! _Kate thought. She didn't know what it was about but it sure didn't sound good. And well… Three magazines were way too much.

"Okay" Lanie finally said after a moment of silence. "I'll just call back later, then I want to hear all the details. But now you'll just have to read for yourself first."

After Lanie told her the names of the magazines she hung up, leaving Kate staring blankly at the phone in her hand. Castle was watching her closely, following her movements, trying to see how angry she was at him for picking up her phone. Well, that and, did he hear something about magazines? The silence they were in was broken by the sound of a loud knock on the door.

"Richard dear, are you dressed? I'm coming in." Martha's voice came from behind the door and the door slowly opened.

When she came into the room she found her son sitting on his bed next to Kate, sheets draped loosely over the both them. "Ah, good morning Kate." She said with a warm smile to her son's girlfriend.

"Good morning Martha." Kate replied. _God, this feels awkward, _she thought. Of course Martha already knew about her, and Martha had been nothing but welcoming towards her but still… She was after all his _mother._ And well, she was sleeping in her son's bed.

"Mother, what are you doing here?" Rick asked. Usually his mother didn't come into his room, especially since he knew that Kate would probably be there with him.

"I'm here to give you this." She said and held up the magazines she was holding. "I think you should read it." She walked over to him, handed him the magazines and left the room again.

Kate's eyes grew wide when she recognized the magazines' names. They were the same ones that Lanie had mentioned to her on the phone. She grabbed one of the magazines and started to feverishly flip through it. Meanwhile Castle was doing exactly the same with another magazine. Suddenly the sound of flipping pages stopped as they both seemed to have found the article they were looking for.

There was a picture. A picture of Castle and herself, Castle's arm around her and her head on his shoulder. On the background you could see the hospital, where they'd been to the doctor the day before. She started reading the article.

"_Does famous novelist Richard Castle do more than just write books about NYPD detective Kate Beckett, or is there more 'heat' involved between the two of them?  
The picture above was taken yesterday as the two left the hospital. They seem to look pretty cozy together. But that's not just it. An inside source tells us that they've both been tested positive for mono, sometimes also called 'kissing disease.' They both seem to have it at the same time, coincidence? We think not, but when we've got more news we'll let you know!"_

She closed the magazine roughly and turned toward Castle who also seemed to be done reading. "So…" He said.

"Yeah…" she replied.

"I guess we already know what the result of the blood test will be." He said dryly.

"Yes." She said and stared at her hands. Somehow she didn't exactly know how she felt about all of this. She wasn't used to it. Usually in a relationship there wasn't stuff about her in some gossip magazine. She'd expected her relationship with Castle to be different from others but she had totally forgotten about the fact that he was, like, very famous.

"I think we should give an interview." Castle said.

"What?" She sounded surprised.

"Yes, you know, to officially announce that we're together." He said and then further explained, "A lot of magazines like gossip, rumors. The paparazzi will probably follow us so that they can snap a picture of us 'secretly' being together. If they find out that it's official, they'll eventually leave us alone. Of course there will still be some of them, but most of them probably won't bother. That's because it's old news, not 'thrilling' enough. There's nothing that the paparazzi likes more than secret relationships."

"I… I'll think about it." She said. Of course he had a point, a good one, but she still wasn't sure. The whole 'press' thing kind of scared her a bit. It wasn't her element. She didn't like all the cameras at the Heat Wave launch party either. And of course there was that Cosmo reporter. Terrible. She sighed. She knew this relationship couldn't just be so simple.


	13. Ch 13: Okay

**A/N: So I'm terrible for not updating in such a long time, I know. I promised that I would update as soon as I came back from my skiing trip, only if I wasn't injured. Which I was. The day before I would hit the slopes I fell on the stairs and broke my right wrist. I know that's a lame excuse, because I could still ski with a plaster cast (it went surprisingly good) so then I should be able to write as well but I just didn't get around to it.  
So I hope you'll forgive me. This chapter starts right where the other left off. Meaning they're both still in bed together. Anyway, I hope you'll like it enough to review maybe? Okay, I'll stop rambling now…**

Ch 13: Okay

Castle was about to suggest for them to get out of bed when they heard another knock on the door.

"Come in." He said.

The door swung open and Alexis entered the room, carrying a tray with food.

"Good morning." Alexis said shyly. She didn't know if she was supposed to be in here. It was a bit awkward, considering the fact that her father and his girlfriend were in the same bed together. Well, that wasn't really a big deal, but they seemed to be partly covered in sheets. And only sheets that is. Normally Alexis felt pretty comfortable around Kate, she even liked having her around. But she standing next to the bed were they were both still in… Weird.

"I made you breakfast" She added and put the tray of food down on the bed.

"Breakfast in bed? What did we do to deserve such a pleasure?" Castle asked.

"Oh come on dad. Did you seriously think that you could keep the fact that you have mono from me? It's all over the news. And I heard, you need a lot of rest. So… I decided to make you breakfast before I go to school." She answered.

Kate still was amazed sometimes by how sweet Alexis really was. She watched as Rick pulled into a hug and kissed her on the forehead. She felt her lips curl into a smile, and she felt a warm feeling spread through her body. They were just so sweet together that, even though she wasn't the 'melt-for-someone' kind of girl, she did kind of melt when she saw them together.

"You know, you are absolutely the best daughter I ever had." He said with a smile.

Alexis sighed and rolled her eyes. "Dad, I'm you're only daughter."

"Exactly, so you know I'm telling you the truth."

"Right. Anyway, I got to go. I don't want to be late for school." She said. When she reached door she turned around and said, "Oh and dad… No Guitar Hero."

Castle's grin fell. "Aw, why not?"

She let out an audible sigh and replied, "Dad, you know why not. You always dance around the apartment when you play Guitar Hero. You need to rest."

Kate let out a soft chuckle. She'd never saw Castle dance around his apartment while playing Guitar Hero, but the mental image alone was very funny.

"Alexis! You don't need to reveal all of my dark personal secrets in front of my _girlfriend." _He emphasized the word girlfriend. He liked the association with Kate and the word girlfriend. Well, as long as he was in the picture too, of course.

Kate bit her lip and tried not to laugh when Alexis continued, "Oh come on dad, that wasn't dark personal secret. It would be worse if I told her about the whole cotton candy scene…"

His eyes grew wide as he saw his daughter and Kate exchange amused glances. "You promised that you'd never mention that again." He said as he tried to hide his embarrassment.

"Yes, I know. Just take you're rest and don't do anything stupid okay dad?" Having her dad to take rest wasn't really an easy thing. He usually got himself in trouble, once he got bored.

"Hey! How come that I get all these rules and Kate doesn't? She has mono too, you know." He said, sounding as if he was defending himself.

"I know, but Kate I trust." She said teasingly.

"Ouch." He said as he dramatically put his hand on his chest. "That stung my heart."

"You know you're heart is at the other side right?" Alexis asked.

"I really do pay too much for your education." He said with a sigh.

"Bye dad. Bye Kate." She said and closed the door behind her.

Castle took a side glance at Kate and saw her trying to hold in her laughter. "Cotton Candy scene?" She asked and let out another chuckle. "You _so_ need to tell me about that."

"No way." He said. "The Guitar Hero thing, you already know. I'm not telling you this. I have to keep the masculinity I've got left." As to make a statement he sat up straighter, curled his fingers into a fist and bumped his fist against his chest while he held his head up high in the air. After that he spit in a empty glass that stood on his nightstand.

"Seriously?" She asked. "You spit in an empty glass? How very 'manly' of you." The moment the words left her lips she started laughing again, not able to hold back anymore.

"Are you making fun of me?" He asked, a smile on his lips.

"No, no. I wouldn't dare to make fun of such a tough guy like you." She answered, sarcasm dripping from her words.

He took a deep breath and a serious look came on his face again. "Have you thought about what you want to do with the press yet? That maybe we could make our relationship official…"

"I don't know yet. I haven't really gotten a change to think about it." She said. Honestly, she was scared. Kate Beckett wasn't a woman who was scared, and if she was, she didn't let it show a lot. So that was why she didn't mention that now. She had already let him in, but she didn't know if she was ready to let in everything that came with being who he was.

"Kate…" He started while looking down at his hands, "I want you to know−" He took another breath before continuing, "I want you to know that you don't have to be worried about this or… scared. We'll do it together." Castle felt a bit nervous because he knew what she'd think he'd be implying. That she was scared and that she needed him. And even if that was true, he didn't want to scare her off.

It was awfully quiet in the room for a moment. Kate looked over at Castle, who was still staring down at his hands, he was nervously fumbling with. It was actually kind of cute to see him nervous. "Okay."

His head snapped up at that single word, and he looked at her, searching for any kind of hesitation. "Okay?"

"Yes, Okay." She replied.

"Just like that?" He asked, surprised.

"Just like that." She confirmed. It was time to get out of her comfort zone, she thought. She had been in it for way too long.

"Okay." He said with a wide grin on his face.

"Okay." She said and leaned in to kiss him.


	14. Ch 14: Fans and Girl Talk

**A/N: Whoohoo! Monday a new episode of Castle! And from what I have seen, I think it's definitely going to be REALLY good. I am really excited and I hope you are all too. Anyway, here's a new chapter, I hope you like it. And as always, I would be thrilled to hear from you :D**

**Ch 14: Fans and Girl talk**

A couple of days had passed in the Castle residence, and not much had changed. Most of the time Rick and Kate were tired and fast asleep in bed. At other moments, they played some board games or Castle got his laptop to write something.

The only thing that had changed was the bedroom itself. Not really a major thing, but almost everywhere were cards, flowers and even stuffed animals. All of them sent by the huge group of fans Castle had.

Kate was getting a bit overwhelmed by all of it. She could live with the stuffed animals, but the lingerie, not so good. Because not only had his fan been sending him cards to tell him to get well soon, usually accompanied by flowers or other things, they had also been sending him lingerie. Sexy, laced lingerie. Usually it had a card with it that said something like, _I hope this will cheer you up, _or, _when you have enough energy again, maybe you want to meet the person this belongs to. _She sort of already expected stuff like this, after all she had gone through his fan mail before, but there were two things that she didn't expect.

First, she hadn't expected the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach along with those annoying thoughts. Yes, she hadn't expected it but she was jealous. And the worst thing was, she couldn't help it. The rational part of her brain told her that it was stupid, he had already proven himself to be a good boyfriend and a good father. So she didn't have to be jealous, it made no sense. But still, here she was, feeling jealous.

The second thing she hadn't expected were the hate letters. Addressed to her. Even though they hadn't made their relationship official yet, she had already gotten hate mail. Women telling her to back off, that she wasn't good enough, that she didn't understand him the way they did. All of them women that were clearly jealous of her. Which made her feel even more stupid for feeling jealous. Because that made her a bit like those women. It was pathetic.

He was asleep next to her, completely unaware of her presence beside him. His hair was a bit messed up and his mouth was slightly opened. Watching him sleep was strangely calming. The cop in her wanted to get to work and hated being to stuck here and not being to do anything useful. But her other side was happy to be here with him and do things like watch him sleep. He looked so peaceful.

She let out a loud sigh. This afternoon they were going to give an exclusive interview to a reporter that was an old friend of Rick. She was worried that then her peace, at least the little that she had, would be over. If she was receiving hate mail already, it would probably would get worse if it was official that they were together. Her brow furrowed and she drifted off in her own thoughts, not noticing that Castle slowly opened his eyes.

She had that cute frown on her face again, and he could see that there was something that was clearly on her mind. "What are you thinking about?" He asked and startled her, since she hadn't expected him to be awake.

"I− I'm just a bit worried about the interview." She said. Telling him what was on her mind had become surprisingly easy to do.

He laced his fingers through hers and gave her hand a soft squeeze. "It's going to be fine, the reporter, Mark, is a good friend of mine. He'll let us read and correct everything before he's going to print it. He won't print anything you're uncomfortable with."

"I know but…" She started but didn't finish her sentence.

"But?"

"Your fans can be a bit intimidating." She said as she let her eyes wonder around the room to all the stuff they send him.

"Yeah, I know. But you have to trust me on this one, I will do everything to make sure this will go great, okay?"

She nodded after which she moved closer to him and buried her face in his chest. She listened to the sound of his heartbeat and inhaled his scent. Almost immediately she felt the brief rush of worry disappear. It was amazing how safe and calm she felt with him. The only person she had ever felt this safe with was… She quickly swallowed a lump in her throat before she finished that thought. Her mother.

Somehow he had wormed his was in, past all of her defenses, straight into her heart. Over the past couple of days, she had let him in. And she had only just realized it.

"Kate." He murmured against her hair.

"Hmm?" She replied.

"Have you told Lanie yet?" He asked.

Her eyes grew wide. "No, I haven't." Shit. She hadn't called Lanie back after that one phone call. Lanie didn't officially know yet. How could she have forgotten that? Then another realization hit her, her dad didn't know it either. She hadn't spoken with him since… Since the dinner they had with Castle and his family. Well, at least she knew that he hadn't read the mono thing in a magazine yet. Her father never read those kind of magazines, he thought they were stupid.

Quickly, she got up and immediately regretted it when she felt a bit dizzy. She hadn't even eaten yet. Slowly she got out of bed to get her phone. She had to call Lanie now, before she'd read it somewhere. Because if that would happen she knew Lanie would be mad at her.

When she got her phone she went over to the bathroom to get some privacy. She dialed Lanie's number and waited for her to pick up.

"Lanie Parish." A voice sounded through her phone's speaker.

"Hi Lanie, it's Kate."

"Girl, you'd better give me all the juicy details, because I've been waiting very patiently for your call." Lanie said.

"You know those articles…" She started.

"Yes."

"Well, I haven't been to work this week because that mono part was right." She said.

"And...?" Lanie asked, as a hint for her to continue.

"And Castle has it too." She replied.

"Oh come on, I said juicy details, not the boring version." Lanie said.

"Okay, guess where I am right now." Kate said, feeling like a high-school girl again.

Lanie rolled her eyes at the other side of the phone and replied, "If you're gonna make me guess for the juicy details, I _will _come up with a _very _juicy story. Just tell me."

"I'm in his bathroom." She said.

Lanie grinned before asking, "Who's bathroom?"

"Rick's of course!"

"Rick? You call him Rick now?" Lanie couldn't hide the amusement out of her voice. This was just way too good.

Kate let out a loud sigh and then decided to just come clean. "Yes, aren't you supposed to call your boyfriend by their first name?"

A loud squeal of excitement blared trough the speaker. "Boyfriend? Oh this is so great, I'm really happy for you!"

"Thanks." Kate said, a happy smile on her face. She had almost forgotten how great it was to talk about guys with her best friend.

"So… Juicy details?" Lanie asked.

"Shall I start at the beginning?" Kate asked. She felt a rush of excitement, it was so good to share this with Lanie. She did however, wonder what she was going to say about the make out session in his office, with her father in the other room. And of course the whole teasing at work, from both sides. Well, there was only one way to find out…

"Yes please!"

"Okay, so it started when..."

-

A/N: So, next: The Inteview...


	15. Ch 15: Love and an Interview

**A/N: So sorry for taking this long to post this. It took more time to write than I wanted…**

Ch 15: Love and an Interview

Kate was lying in bed, her eyes looking up to the ceiling, staring at it. She'd finally told Lanie about her and Castle. Of course at times Lanie's reaction had been just the way she imagined it to be, but on the other hand… She sighed and took a glance at the man who was fast asleep next to her. Yes, she hadn't expected the more serious turn their conversation took. At the beginning it was all perfectly normal…

_"You what?!" Lanie exclaimed._

Kate chuckled at her friend's response. "I pushed him against the door of his office and kissed him", She repeated. And a very good kiss that was…

"With his daughter and your father in the other room?" Lanie asked, just to make sure she'd heard everything all right.

"Yes" She replied. "And if they hadn't been in the other room, it probably wouldn't have stayed with kissing…"  
  
Of course Lanie had been totally excited when Kate told her about the almost-kiss in the observation room. Castle teasing her, and making her mind go all foggy. But then Lanie started to get more serious, only Kate didn't realize it at the time…

_"Wow, Kate Beckett getting distracted at WORK. You really do like him, don't you?"_

She smiled and answered sincerely, "Yes, I think I do."

Lanie cleared her throat before asking, hesitantly, "Do you love him?"

Kate almost choked, even though she wasn't eating or drinking anything. "What?" she finally managed to choke out.

"Well, do you love him?"

It was silent for a moment while Kate thought about her friend's question. Did she love him? She had let him in, and she felt safe in his arms but love? She tried to think of her life without him and felt hollow inside. Oh god, she thought, she did love him.

"I− I, yes." She admitted.

How the hell did that happen? But the truth was, that he actually was a really nice guy. A guy that could be a child sometimes, but he was serious when she needed him to be. He was… Playful. She shifted her body, careful not to wake him, and watched him sleep. A smile crept to her face, and a she felt a fluttering feeling in her stomach. Somehow having figured out that she loved him made her feel relieved. A bit scared nonetheless, but mostly relieved.

"Are you watching me sleep again?" Rick suddenly said, his eyes still closed.

She felt her cheeks flush and quickly looked the other way. "I− I was just−" She started but he cut her off.

"It's okay; I think it's kind of cute." He opened his eyes, and saw her cheeks get turn into an even darker shade of pink.

"How do you mean watching you sleep again?" She suddenly asked as she remembered the numerous times she had done that. If he was awake most of the time… She didn't even want to think about that.

"Well, you do that a lot…" He said enjoying the beautiful color on her cheeks. Kate Beckett didn't blush often but he thought that when she did blush, it was extremely adorable.

"I didn't know you were awake." She said, trying to defend herself.

"Hey, I watch you do paperwork all the time, when I _know _you're awake. So this is far less creepy and I don't mind." He said, hoping that she wouldn't break her habit of watching him sleep from now on.

When she didn't reply but just stared down at her hands he asked, "Are you nervous about the interview?"

Her head snapped up. Her thoughts had just trailed off to the interview and immediately he brought it up. _How does he do that? _She thought. Sometimes it was almost if he could read her mind. "Yes, a little." She answered him.

He pulled her into a hug and whispered in her ear, "You don't have to worry."

She shivered a bit at the feeling of his breath against her neck, and smiled. He really was a great guy.

------

That afternoon, they both got dressed for the first time in a long while. Usually they just wore pajamas or other comfortable clothes, since they were in bed most of the time. Anyone would say it would be boring, doing nothing and sleeping for the most of the day. It probably would've been, If it wasn't for the fact they were together doing it.

Kate looked into the mirror again, and straightened her clothes for one last time before she turned around to Rick. They were walking down the stairs when they heard the sound of the doorbell.

Castle opened the door as Kate went to sit on the couch.

"Hey, Mark. Come in!" He welcomed their guest and led the way to the living area.

Mark was thrilled to get this interview. An exclusive interview with Richard Castle and his 'muse' was, especially since the articles about the mono, the dream of almost every reporter. Rick and he had met a long time ago and they had kind of become friends. Well, for as much as a reporter and a celebrity could be called friends.

Once they had all settled down Mark switched on his recording device and first talked into it himself, saying the date and more standard stuff. Once he was done he focused on the two persons in front of him and started straight away with asking question number one.

"Recently there have been published some articles about the two of you having mono, how much of those articles are true?" Mark asked.

"Well, pretty much all of it." Rick replied. "We both are tested positive for mono."

"And what about your relationship with each other? There have been some speculations about that as well…" Mark stated.

After having squeezed Kate's hand he replied, "I'm happy to announce that Kate and I are officially a couple. Have been for over a week now actually."

Marked turned to Kate for the next question. "How is it to be in a relationship with Richard Castle? He does have quite the reputation…"

"Ouch." Came the reply from Rick.

Mark switched his recording device off for a moment before he said, "Rick, we're friends but I'm just doing my job here. So as a friend, don't take offence in any of these questions."

"All right… Carry on." Rick said.

Mark repeated the question and it was silent for a moment as Kate tried to find the right description of being in a relationship with Rick Castle. "It has actually been quite amazing. Well, if you consider the fact that almost all we have been able to do is sleep. But Rick is kind of a good boyfriend."

Rick raised an eyebrow and mouthed, "Kind of?" at which she rolled her eyes.

-

**A/N: Okay, so this isn't the complete interview, but I'll give you part two in the next chapter. Also, I think there might only be two chapters left after this one…**

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	16. Ch 16: The Interview, part II

**A/N: First of all I want to thank you all for all the great encouragement in the form of reviews, story alerts, favourites etc. I really appreciate it all, and they all make my day.  
Second: Tomorrow a new Castle episode, yay! Anyone else excited?**

Ch 16: The Interview, part II

Mark was quick to pick up the silent conversation between the two of them and asked "What do you mean with kind of a good boyfriend?"

"Ehm… I mean that he is a good boyfriend. A really great one actually, that kind of was just−" Kate thought for a moment. "It was just to tease Rick."

"Do you do that a lot? Tease him about things, I mean." Mark asked.

Kate grinned and looked at Castle when she replied, "No, not really."

Castle scoffed and Mark turned around to him. "Would you say you would think different about that, Rick?"

"Oh well… Just a little." He replied.

All this time Mark noticed the both of them exchanging glances, mouthing things and raising eyebrows. All this silent conversation, that wouldn't be recorded on his recording device. Mark quickly scribbled something about their 'silent'conversation down on his notepad before he asked Castle a follow-up question. "So Kate is a bit of a tease?"

Castle flashed a smile and answered, "Yes."

Mark turned to Kate again for the next question. "Kate, what do you find the most attractive or fun about Rick?"

Castle gave her an expectant look and wriggled his eyebrows at which she rolled her eyes. "Well, he can be funny…" she started, trying to think of what to say next.

"Can be? I _am _funny" He said, only realizing after a couple of moments that he had thought that out loud.

"Very funny Rick." She said to him, voice dripping with sarcasm. "But I thought he was asking this question to me…" She turned to Mark again, "I think it's really nice that he is such a good father. Seeing him with his daughter, well it's really cute. And sometimes he can be very… thoughtful and sweet."

"Ok, and the same question for you Rick…" Mark said as he turned to Rick again.

"What I find attractive about Rick? Well, he's such a great, funny, ruggedly handsome…" Castle started but Mark cut him off.

"What do you find attractive about Kate?" Mark clarified.

He got serious again and he answered, "Well basically everything but I'll probably have to pick some things so... Beside all the obvious−"

"The obvious?" Kate interjected.

A wide grin spread across his face as he replied, "The obvious, as in, you're totally hot." Satisfied with the new color her cheeks currently had he continued, "So, beside all the obvious she is just extraordinary, like I wrote in my book dedication. And she is _almost _as funny as I am."

That last part earned a loud scoff from Kate. "No seriously, she is an extraordinary women. Oh and of course it's totally awesome that she can kick crimal butt. A bit like Charlie's Angels, or no Lara Croft. But then better."

Kate leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Lara Croft? Seriously?"

All this time Mark watched them, fascinated with the way they acted together. They were playful, something he already knew Rick was, but he had never seen like this. Kate could handle him. Mark smiled when he saw them starting to banter back and forth, seemingly unaware of his presence. Mark had done an interview on his first and his second wife. With both of them, he wasn't sure if it would work out, if they were right together. But Rick and Kate… He was sure they were perfect together.

After a while Mark cleared his throat which caused both Rick's and Kate's head to snap into his direction. "So, how long have you been together now, as a couple?"

Kate wanted to think about that but Rick immediately replied, "One week and three days."

She looked at him, surprised. Apparently he had a very good memory, either that or he just thought about _them _a lot. A warm feeling spread through her body. One week and three days.

"And how long have you worked together before that?" Marked asked.

Again, Kate started to think about but Rick immediately replied, "One year and three weeks."

Kate raised her eyebrow. Seriously, since when did he became so good at remembering the date or anything to do with time? She made a mental note to ask him about that later.

"Rick, about Naked Heat, your new novel…" Mark started.

"Wait a second…" Kate interrupted him. "Naked Heat?" She said, slowly, dangerously as she turned to Rick.

"Yeah," He said, looking shifting uncomfortably. "I was going to talk to you about that…"

"Really? And when were you planning on telling me?" Kate demanded to know.

"When it came up…" He replied.

"Naked Heat? I want you to change the title." She said.

The look she gave him made him raise his hands in defense. "I'm sorry but I can't, it's already final."

"When did you came up with the name? During your period of writer's block? Because even I could've come up with a better name then that!" Slowly her voice started to get to a higher volume.

"It'll all become clear when you read it." Rich said in a soothing tone. "Seriously, you don't have to worry."

With one last glare she said, "We are not done talking about this."

"So eh…" Mark said, looking slightly uncomfortable, "About… that book," he didn't use the name on purpose, he didn't want to have to witness another scene like the one he'd just saw. "Do you have any news about that for the fans?"

"Well, it will be released in September. But other than that and the title, I can't tell you much. It's in my contract." Castle said.

"Not one thing?" Mark tried again.

"Well, I can tell you…" He started with a mysterious grin, "Nikki Heat gets duck taped to a chair in chapter six. But that's all I'm giving you."

"Okay." Mark said. "Well, thank you both very much for your time. I will let you read my article before I send it to my editor." He turned off his recording device, shook hands with Kate and Rick and got up.

Rick walked Mark to the door. When Mark almost left he turned around and said, "Rick?"

"Yes?"

"I think she's a keeper." Mark said with a smile.

"Yeah, me too." He replied and closed the door behind Mark. When he turned around he saw Kate yawn, and it made him realize that not only she, but him as well were both tired.

He walked over to the couch and pulled Kate close to him. "That wasn't too bad now, was it?" Castle asked.

She stifled another yawn and replied, "No it wasn't. But I still think Naked Heat is a stupid title for a book."

He grinned. "Sure you do."

"And you really can't change it?" She asked, just to be sure.

"No I can't."

Suddenly she grinned and asked, "Do you really think I'm hot?"

"Totally." Rick said. "Kate?" He continued, suddenly sounding a bit more… fragile? She couldn't quite place it.

"Yes?"

He took a deep breath and turned her head so they could look each other in the eyes. "I− I love you."

A warm fluttery feeling spread through her belly. Usually she would've headed for the first available exit, but she had changed. He had changed her. Os she replied, "I love you too."

Suddenly his lips caught hers and she moved her hands into his hair. If only she wasn't this tired… She felt one of his hands caress her thigh and the other one on her back. It was a long, slow, passionate kiss and she finally broke off, in desperate need for air.

"Come on." He said when he stood up and grabbed her hand. "We need to get some sleep."

She let him pull her off the couch and together they walked up the stairs. She could help but grinning the whole time, and he mirrored her expression.

-

**A/N: So the next chapter will jump a bit ahead in time, probably a month or so. It will also probably be the last one to this story…**


	17. Ch 17: Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

**A/N: The final chapter…**

Ch 17: Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

_Almost two months later…_

It had been over two weeks ago since Kate Beckett had returned to work, Castle, as always, 'shadowing' her. All in all things went pretty well. They had just closed another case the day before and they were currently on their way to the precinct to do some paperwork. Or at least, she was. Rick was just tagging along as usual.

It was kind of funny actually, the way she thought about 'they' and 'them'. Somehow the idea of Rick and her being together had become so normal to her that she had made a habit of using terms like 'we' instead of just saying 'I'. Most of the time she stayed over at his place, since she had basically lived there during the time that they had mono. She had gotten used to it, although she wouldn't exactly use the words moving in yet. Theoretically she had pretty much already done that, but she couldn't just let go of her apartment yet. She had came out of her comfort zone enough, officially moving in with Rick was just a bit too much… for now at least.

Getting back to work had been… challenging at first. Now she didn't only have to keep Rick under control, but Ryan and Esposito as well. For their sakes she had pretended not to notice the exchange of money and the silence that fell when she asked a question about it. She was a detective, and she was pretty sure that they had some large bet going on about her and Rick.

That was another thing. Sometime during the past couple of weeks she had completely starting to think about his as Rick. Of course she still called him Castle at work, to keep it more professional, but she didn't think of him as Castle anymore. Just Rick.

Rick shot Kate a side-glance, who seemed to be deep in thought. They drove to work together most of the time. Actually a lot of things had changed between them. But then again, some things stayed the same. Like the fact that she still wouldn't let him drive…

Suddenly he got ripped out of his thoughts when Kate abruptly turned the car over to the sidewalk, almost giving him a whiplash.

"Kate are you al−" Before he could finish his question, Kate got out of the car and ran towards the nearest trash can.

He got out as well, and followed her. She was throwing up in the trashcan. Worried, he walked over to her and held her hair. When she stopped he asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I don't know what happened. Suddenly I just felt−" She leaned forward to the trashcan again, and continued throwing up. When she was done, she walked over to the car, got in and grabbed a bottle of water. She drunk it and let the fluid wash away the bitter taste on her tongue.

Castle took the seat next to her and said, "Maybe you should go home, get some rest. The paperwork can wait till tomorrow."

"I already told you, I'm fine. That was just− Well, I don't know what it was but it's over now and I feel fine." She tried to convince him.

Another thing that hadn't changed, Kate Beckett was still stubborn as hell.

Castle shook his head before he admitted defeat and said, "Okay, but if you feel only a bit nauseous or sick, I'm going to take you home."

"I'm fine." She said, sounding more like she was trying to convince herself than him.

"Sure…" He said, unconvinced.

"I am." She said as she started driving again.

"Hmm hmm." Castle murmured in confirmation.

Kate, who was getting quite annoyed, said, "Seriously I am!"

"Well, I didn't say you weren't, did I? I even agreed with you." He replied.

"Yes, but you sounded like you were doing to exact opposite." She countered.

"Hmm hmm."

"Stop that!" Kate said, snapping a bit.

"Stop what?" Castle, who had started to grin, asked.

She let out a loud sigh. "That− thing you're doing… You know what I mean!" came the vague reply. "And stop grinning like that, this isn't funny!"

Instead of stopping, Castle grin grew even wider at that. "You know when you said I was an easy mark…?" He asked her, his grin never faltering.

"Yes. Why?"

"You are _totally _an easy mark too." Castle said.

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"Am not." Kate said.

"Are too."

"I am _not _an easy mark." She told him.

"It's alright Kate, I think it's kind of cute." He replied teasingly. Meanwhile they had reached the precinct. Kate parked the car, got out and walked towards the doors of the 12th precinct, leaving Castle behind.

Not that she was mad at him though, somehow it was really hard to stay mad at him. No, the reason she was doing this was because she still loved watching him squirm a bit. Plus, she was late because of the whole throwing up incident, which she rather didn't want to think about. She heard loud footstep echoing through the parking garage, running towards her. Suddenly she felt his hand tugging at her arm, shifting her around to face him.

Still a bit breathless from the run, Rick smiled at her. His warm, caring smile, the one she only saw once in a while. He leaned in and kissed her like he'd never done before, making all thoughts about work or the fact that she was supposed to act angry towards him fly out the window. His tongue trailed across her upper lip as her hands found their place in his hair. Hmm, he did have nice hair, she thought as she let her fingers run through it.

He let his hands go down from her lower back to her hips and finally ended in the back pockets of jeans. When he pulled her closer, she almost grinded into him, sending jolts of electricity through their bodies and he groaned softly, almost making him forget their were in a parking garage. Then, in desperate need of air, they broke off the kiss as they tried to steady their breaths.

"Kate?" He asked softly, almost a bit shyly.

"Hmm." Was all she managed to mumble.

"I love you." He said as he looked her straight in her eyes, his deep blue eyes full of sincerity.

She stilled for a moment, too shocked to answer. Of course, she had already figured out how she felt about him a long time ago, but this moment kind of took het by surprise. Even with all of that, she finally breathed, "I love you too."

The smile that then appeared on his face was one of the happiest she'd ever seen. Almost like he was glowing. Quickly he gave her a kiss, making sure they wouldn't get lost in it again, took her hand and walked into the precinct with her.

It was a reasonably quiet day. Kate did some paperwork, drank some coffee and that was pretty much all there was to it. Besides the overly excited Rick Castle of course. She was almost surprised she didn't see him frolic through the hallways. But, it seemed like a normal day…

That afternoon, Kate and Rick were eating lunch together in the break room. Castle watched in horror when Kate ate three peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

"Why are you eating that?" He asked, still horrified.

"I don't know, I just wanted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich." She shrugged.

"You _hate _peanut butter and jelly sandwiches." He said.

"No I don't."

"Yes you do, you said so yourself." He replied.

Suddenly her eyes grew wide and she almost dropped her sandwich. She became a bit pale and ran out of the break room, grabbed her coat and left the precinct. Castle called after her but she was already gone. He decided to wait for her, he was pretty sure she'd come back.

After what seemed, and actually were, hours she Kate back looking a bit… fragile. "What is it?" He asked in his worried voice of his.

"You know the peanut butter and jelly sandwich?" She asked.

"Yes."

"My mother hated them too." She said and continued before he could speak. "But she totally loved them when…" She swallowed, "… she was expecting me."

Suddenly a realization struck him and he looked at her, not knowing if he should be happy or shocked. "And…?" He asked carefully.

She opened her hand that held a pregnancy test. "I'm pregnant." She whispered.

**THE END**

A/N: Okay, I know a totally evil ending. But, I might make a sequel to this one. What do you think? Either way I want to thank you all for the support, I totally loved writing this and I hope you liked reading this as well. You don't know how much it would mean to me if you'd leave one last review. And if not thank for reading! :D  



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